Often children and infants do not enjoy taking a bath. For many years various types of floating toys have been introduced into the bathtub so as to interest children and infants while they are taking a bath.
It would be desirable to develop other ways of entertaining children and infants while they are taking a bath.
The present invention provides hair shampoos and body wash gels which have a consistency such that they jiggle like gelatin, and yet they can hold a shape. In fact these compositions can be molded into various shapes that are of interest to children and infants. Such shapes may include ducks, fish, birds, dinosaurs, planes, trains, and the like.
Such jiggly and shaped hair shampoos and body wash gels are of interest to children and infants who can play with these hair shampoos and body wash gels and even mold these hair shampoos and body wash gels, themselves, before these compositions dissolve in water and release cleansing surfactant. As such these hair shampoos and body wash gels cause children to better enjoy taking a bath or even a shower. It will of course, also be appreciated that the compositions of the invention may be employed by adults.
The compositions of the invention can be packaged in no drip plastic cups. The compositions of the invention can be individually packaged so as to avoid the use of multiple bottles in the shower or bathroom. The compositions of the invention also appear to be effective and concentrated because they can come in individual shapes.
The compositions of the invention which can be characterized as gels or semisolids or viscoelastic compositions, can have more appeal than conventional bar soaps, in that the compositions of the invention tend to lather more easily than conventional bar soaps, and also tend to form a richer lather than conventional bar soaps.
The following is a list of patents and patent applications and a commercial product that relate to the field of the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,326 discloses to liquid cleansing compositions in lamellar phase which possess a lotion-like appearance conveying signals of enhanced moisturization. However, these liquids often undergo an irreversible decrease in viscosity under freeze/thaw conditions, losing their moisturization signals. The use of low salt levels in amphoteric and anionic surfactants in a structured liquid product has been found to improve its freeze/thaw stability.
WO 01/38475 discloses a product for use in a fabric laundering process which is in the form of a self-supporting aqueous gel and which comprises one or more fabric treating agents, a gelling agent and one or more surfactants comprising a polypeptide or polysaccharide.
EP 0875236 discloses an aqueous composition for treating keratin fibers, especially human hair, which comprises natural and/or synthetic ingredients with a food or pleasurable aroma and a bitter and with a molecular weight of 250 g/mole which is 10 mg/l soluble in the formulation at 20 degrees C.
JUNGLE GEL is a commercial product which comprises:
about 86.4% water;
about 9.1 % sodium lauryl ether sulfate; and
about 1.5% PEG pentaerythrityl tetrastearate, as well as fragrances, moisturizing oils, colors, and preservatives.
Canadian Application No. 2,194,442 discloses hydrogels which are used as a suitable application form for using active substances in the treatment of skin injuries and/or for the cosmetic treatment of sensitive sites on the skin and nails. These hydrogels are sheet-like, rigid elastic structures adapted to the contours of human body sites and comprise therapeutic and/or cosmetic active substances.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,502 discloses aqueous, viscoelastic surfactant solutions for the cleaning of hair and skin which contain:
(A) from 4 to 25% by weight of an anionic surfactant;
(B) from 0 to 10% by weight of a betainic surfactant;
(C) from 0 to 20% by weight of a nonionic surfactant;
(D) from 0 to 6% by weight of an electrolyte;
(E) from 0 to 5% by weight of a water-soluble polymer; and
(F) from 0 to 5% by weight of a further constituent;
in which the sum of the amounts of (A), (B), and (C) is at least 10% by weight and the sum of the amounts of (C), (D), and (E) is between 2 and 20% by weight, in each case based on the total weight of the aqueous solution, and having a shear modulus, G0, between 50 and 500 Pa at temperatures between 20 and 40. degree. C. and a pH of from 4 to 8, and in which the conditions for the identity of the storage modulus, Gxe2x80x2, and the loss modulus, Gxe2x80x3, are in the angular frequency range between 0.1 and 60 rad.multidot.s.sup.xe2x88x921, exhibit optimum flow behavior for the intended applications.
GB 2,280,906 discloses a shaped toiletry product which comprises a gel comprising a gelling agent, preferably up to 15% gelatin, water and at least one surfactant. The surfactant is retained in the gel and is released on contact with warm water. The use of a gel of suitable composition enables toiletry products that are typically in liquid form, for example, bath gels, shower gels and shampoos to be made in a shaped stable form.
The present invention relates to a viscoelastic cleansing gel, comprising:
a. about 4 to about 30 % an anionic surfactant; and
b. 0 to about 20% of an amphoteric surfactant;
wherein said composition has a Gxe2x80x2h at about 63 rad/s in the range of about 100 to about 2000 Pa.; a Gxe2x80x2/Gxe2x80x3, xcfx89c, in the range of about 0.01 to 10 rad/sec; and wherein the ratio of anionic to amphoteric surfactant is in the range of about 1:3 to 100:0, or said another way, said composition has a ratio of anionic to amphoteric surfactant which is in the range of about 1:3 up to a composition which has anionic surfactant and no amphoteric surfactant.
The present invention also relates to a method for cleansing the hair or skin which comprises applying to the hair or skin a viscoelastic cleansing gel as described herein.
Unless indicated otherwise, as used herein, xe2x80x9c%xe2x80x9d means weight %. The starting materials set forth herein are either known or can be prepared in accordance with known methods. Gxe2x80x2/Gxe2x80x3 or xcfx89c at 63 rad/s, are used interchangeably to mean crossover frequency. At xe2x80x9cabout 63 rad/sxe2x80x9d, means between 62.5 rad/s and 63.5 rad/s. As used herein xe2x80x9cjigglyxe2x80x9d motion means to move back and forth in a wiggly manner or in a jerky, or shaky manner.